Swivel joint for fluid conduits



April 24, 1951 D. c. WARREN 2,549,951

- SWIVEL JOINT FOR FLUID CONDUI'TS Filed Feb. 2, 1948 lill] @auf C: Wfl/PRE Patented Apr. 24, 1951 SWIVEL JOINT FOR FLUID OONDUITS Doyle C. Warren, Monrovia, Calif., assigner to Chiksan Company, Brea, Calif.,y a corporation of California,

Application February 2, 1948, Serial No. 5,872

13 Claims.

This invention has to do with a swivel joint for fluid conduits and it is a general object of the invention to provide a sim-ple, practical, highly dependable swivel joint or connection for iiuid conduits that will handle a wide Variety of liquids or i'iuids and which will maintain a uid tight connection under severe operating conditions.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a swivel joint of the general charac ter referred to with a seal that effectively maintains a fluid tight connection between the rela tively moving parts which seal does not require packing and maintains a pressure enga-gement between the sealing parts under all working con* ditions.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a joint construction of the general character referred to including a seal which maintains tight sealing engagement between the sections or relatively moving parts even though there may be slight misalignment of the parts or possibly shifting of the parts due to wear or clearance that may occur in the structure.

A further object of theA present invention is to provide a seal for sections of a swivel con-k nection characterized by a bellows which normally exerts pressure in a manner to maintain tight sealing engagement between the relatively moving parts.

Another objectv of the invention is toA provide a seal of the general characti-irv referred to in-` cluding a resilient element preferably a spring which supplements the action of the bello-ws maintaining tight connection between the working parts.

It is another object of the invention to provide -a swivel connection of the general character referred to including a male section er1- gaged in the socket of a female section with a sealing bel-lows located between the inner end of the male section and the bottom of the socket in the female section, while a simple antifriction Acoupling means of minimum diameter joins the sections for free relative Irotation.

It is a further object of the present. invent-ion to provide a swivel connection .of the general character referred to including av male .section engaged in the socket .of .a female. section and having a sealing bellows carried within the por tion of the male section that is 'held inl the socket of the female :section while an anti-friction coupling means surrounds the .said portion .of

the male section and is carried within the sock-- et of the female section.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of typical preferred forms and applications of the invention, throughout which description reference is made to the ac companying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a typical swivel joint or swive1 connection incorporating a typi cal form of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a swivel joint or connection incorporating the present invention, certain of the parts being broken away to show the details of construction. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a swivel joint or connection incorporating another form of the present invention, and Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of a joint construction similar to that shown in Fig. 4 but incorporating a slightly different form of the structure provided bythe invention.

The construction provided by my present invention is applicable, generally, to swivel or ro.- tating connections provided between iiuid con-.- ducting parts or elements and the invention is capable oi being incorporated in various forms and it may be applied to a joint .or swivel con-4 nection in various manners. In the drawings I have shown several different joint constructions with different forms of construction embodying the present invention and showing .different manners of application of the present. invention to the joint constructions.

Referring specifically to the form of Athe in.- vention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the draw.-` ings the structure involves two tubular sections A and B, the section A 'being a male section withan inner end portion l0 entered in the socket Il of the section B, the section B being a female section. The structure further includes means C rotatably coupling the sections A and B and sealing means D establishing a 'ieak..pioof connection between the sections A and B, the means D being mounted or carried'y within the assembly established by the sections lA and B.

The male section A is shown as a simple, straight, tubular part having an inner end portion It to t the socket li of the. female section with suitable clearance and having an outer en/:l' portion I2 preferably provided with means -for establishing connections with a iiuid .conductor such as a pipe or the like. lin the particular case illustrated .the outer end portion i2 is internally threaded at I3 to receive. a pipe, `or the like.

The female .section B in :the particular .case

under consideration is a tubular part I -shaped erm having an inner end or socket portion I3 and an outer end portion I5. The socket end l of section B has the socket I I entering it from its Youter end i5 while the outer end portion I5 of section B is preferably provided with means for making connections with a pipe, or the like. In the dra-wings section i5 is shown with an internal thread Il for the reception of a pipe or like member. The portions lli and l5 of section B are shown angularly related or at right angles to each other, in which event they are joined by a curved neck portion I3.

The means C rotatably coupling the sections A and B is preferably an anti-friction means and in the particular case under consideration it involves two rows of balls 23 arranged between the end portion Ill of section A and the socket portion I4 of section B. The means C is a simple, compact construction the balls 2i? being carried in grooves 2i provided in the exterior of the portion IJ of section A and grooves i2 provided in the interior of the socket II. The walls of the grooves QI and 22 are spherically curved and the grooves 2! and 22 register, forming channels for reception of the balls 2li. A lateral access opening 23 is provided in one side of the socket portion i4 of section B having communication with the channels established by the grooves 2i and 22 so that the balls 28 can readily be arranged in and removed from the channels. A closure, preferably in the form of a plug 2t, normally closes the opening 23 and it is preferably locked against displacement by a releasable fastener such as a key 25.

In the preferred construction a lubricant connection or fitting 25 is provided in the plug 24 so that suitable lubricant can be introduced to the balls 23. It is preferred, in practice, that a lubricant and dust seal be provided between the parts IB and Iii to prevent lubricant from escaping from between these parts and to prevent dust or foreign matter from entering between them. As shown in the drawings this seal mayinvolve a sealing ring Si) between the outer end portion of socket part i4 and the part IG where it enters the socket.

The sealing means D provide-d by the present invention and in the form under consideration is characterized by a resilient collapsible conformable member which I will term a bellows and which is under compression between the sections A and B with its ends in sealing engagement with the sections A and B. The bellows 3l is an annular or tubular element preferably formed of thin walled resilient material such as metal and the desired resilience or action may be gained through Aa corrugated or zigzag construction such as is shown in the drawings and such as is commonly referred to as a bellows construction.

t is preferred in practice that one end of the bellows ce sealed with one section of the joint by being fixed thereto while the other end of the bellows is sealed lwith the other section of the joint through a sliding engagement or t maintained tight by the resilient action of the bellows so that leakage does not occur at this point. In the case under consideration one end of the bellows is made tight and xed to one section of the joint through a mounting ring di while and the ring Al is fixed in section A. The ring 4i is shown held tight in a counterbore 35 provided in the inner end 34 of section A. The ring l? may have a press-lit in the counterbore 3d so that no leakage occurs aro-und or between the ring and section A.

The sealing ring 32 is provided with a sealing face 35 engageable with a sealing face 36 provided in section B surrounding the flow passage 3l that extends therethrough. In the particular case illustrated the sealing face 33 is at or flush with the bottom of the socket I I in section B, the face 35 at face 35 being in a plane transverse of or normal to the axis of the fiow passage 3l where it communicates with the socket II in part I4 of section B. It will be apparent from Fig. l of the drawings that the bearing or sealing ring 32 may seat or bear directly upon the bottom of socket I I or, as shown in the drawings, it may bear on a seat ring 38 provided in the section B. The seat ring 38 is shown mounted in a counterbore 39 extending into the section B from the bottom il@ of the socket I I. The seat ring may be pressed into the counterbore 33 so that it is tight therein.

The seal or sealing engagement between the ring 32 and the seat or member B may be confined to the faces 35 and 36 or, as shown in the drawings, additional sealing engagement maybe established by providing the sealing ring 32 with a tubular extension 42 that slidably fits into the inside or bore 43 of the seat ring 35.

As a means of lubricating the seal ring 32 with its extension 42 where it operates relative to the seat ring 33, lubricant may be introduced between these parts or at the relatively working surfaces. I have shown a lubricantfitting 34 at the exterior of the section B and through which lubricant can be introduced to a port i5 communicating with the interior of the seat ring 38 Where the extension l2 enters the ring 38. It will be apparent that lubricant introduced through the fitting 44 will lubricate Iand aid in sealing between the members 32 and 38.

In the particular construction above described the principal element or bellows 3| of means D is conned to or carried in a chamber 43 established between the inner end 35 of the section A and the bottom i0 of the socket in section B, and the space between these parts is such that the beliows is normally compressed somewhat so that it exerts pressure on the sealing ring 32 holding the face 35 in pressure engagement with the face 36 so that a seal is maintained between these faces at all times even though there may be slight shifting of working between the sections A and B in the course of rotationvbetween them. With this particular arrangement of parts the bellows 3l is beyond the inner end ofthe inner end portion lil of section A, making it possibley to employ the form of coupling means C abovey described, with the result that the structure can be compact or small in over-all diameter.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 the construction is essentially the same as that above described except that the mounting ring instead of being carried by the male section A is carried by the female section B while the sealing ring 32a is carried by and seals against a seat 36a at the inner end of portion lila of section. A. The bellows 3 Ia in this case has one end fixed to the mounting ring 41a while the other end is fixed to the sealing ring 32e. The sealing ring 32a is shown seated directly against the part IIJa of section A and also against the end of La seat staats-r ring 38a carried ina counterbore 39a in thel end of part HW. Itis to`- be noted that with this arrangement the bellows Sie is, ineiiect, fixed or anchored to the section B while sliding and sealing engagement is established betweenthe bellows and the section A. v

In the form of the` invention just described the action of the bellows- 312 is supplemented by a resilient member 5d, preferably in the form of a helical spring surrounding the bellows with one end bearing on the mounting ring filla and the other end bearing onthe sealing ring 32a. Inthis case the spring Evt-is shown fully surrounding the bellows and somewhat larger in diameter than the bellows, inv whichl case the rings 41e and 32n project somewhat beyond or radially outward of they bellows to forni seats against which the ends of the spring bear.

When the parts are in working position, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring 5t', like the bellows 3la is under some compression so that it yieldingly' urges the sealing ring 32a against the parts with which it seals. It is to be observed that the sealing ring 32'(1 in this case has an extension 42H that extends into the seatring 38a substantially the same as in the construction rst described.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig; 4 of the drawings, the male section A2 extends into a socket portion I4" of the female section B2 and the sealing means D2 acting between the sections A2 and B2 is carried within the inner end portion Ib of the male section. In this ease the female section B2 is shown as a straight tubular part and not L-shaped as shown in Fig. l. Further, the section B2 is a fabricated or builtl up construction wherein the outer end portion l-Eb is formedl separate from the socket portion Mb and is` joined thereto by a ange It and suitable fastening means 1l. In this form of the invention the coupling means C2 joining sections A2v and B2 involves balls 2l]b carried by the inner and. outer races 13 and 14, respectively. The inner race 13 is mounted on the exterior of portion I0b while the outer race 14 is mounted in the vsocket Hb of socket portion Mb.

The sealing. means D2 in this form of the invention includes a bellows 3lb with a mounting ring 41h at one end and a sealing ring 32D at the other end. The mounting ring 47h is shown mounted tight or pressed into a bore 34h at the inner end of the counterbore 80 provided in part #t2 to accommodate the bellows. The sealing ring 3213 fixed on the bellows is shown cooperatively engaged with a seat ring 38b carried in a counterbore 39b in section B2. D2 in this form oi the invention is substantially the same as that iirst described except that the bellows 31h is received lin or carried by the count'erbo're 8B in part Ib oi section A2, with the result that the bellows is within the means C2 coupling sections A2 and B2, thus providing a structure that is compact axially although it may be somewhat larger in diameter than the structure shown in Fig. l.

.In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 the parts are arranged and related substantially the y'same 'as shown Fig. 4 except that a iresili'ent element 59h is provided to supplement the action of the bel-lows. In this case the bellows is helically formed and the element 5th is a helidal spring corresponding in pitch with the bellows 'and seated in or meshedwith the bellows. With 'this form off construction lthe resilient member 501 may be employed incohnec'tion with The sealing means.

the bellows without adding to the over-ali diam'- eter or the construction and it will bev apparent fro-m- Fig. 5 of the drawings that the member or springl b inthis casewill serve most effectivelyl in supplementing the action of the spring in holding the seal tight under working conditions.

Having described only typical preferred forms and applications of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted tothe specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in theY art and fall within the.

scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim: i. A flow conducting structure of the character described including, two tubular sections with concentric flow conducting passages and having axially spaced wallsA extending radially outward from the passages dening anannularV inwardly opening chamber, means rotatably coupling the sections, packing means sealing between the sections including', a tubular ilow conducting bellows. having a mounting ring at one end secured toene section and having a sealing ring at theother end having sealing engagement with the other section., the said other section having a seat ring fixed therein with one end engaged by the sealing ring and the sealing ring having a tubular extension rotatably received in the seat ring, and means conducting lubricant to the point of engagement between the extension and seat ring.

2. A flow conducting structure of the character described including, two tubular sections with concentric now conducting passages and havingaxially spaced walls extending radially outward from the passages defining an annular inwardly opening chamber, anti-friction means rotatably coupling the sections, and sealing means between the sections axially removed from the means coupling the sections, including, a tubular flow conducting bellows of substantially the same internal diameter as the said passages, a mounting ring on one end of the bellows and held by one section, a seat ring on the other end of the bellows and slidably engaged with the other section, a helical spring surrounding the bellows to be clear thereof and cooperating with the bellows in holding the sealing ring engaged with said other section.

3-l A iiow conducting structure of the character described including, two tubular sections with concentric iiow conducting passages and having axially spaced walls extending radially outward from the passages defining an annular inwardly opening chamber, means rotatably coupling the sections, and sealing means between the sections, and within the means coupling the sections and including, `a tubular iiow conducting bellows of substantially the same internal diameter as the saidv passages, a mounting ring on one end of the bellows and held by one section, a seat ring on the other endv of the bellows and slidably engaged with the other section, and a helical spring surrounding the bellows and cooperating with the bellows in holding the sealing ring engaged with said other section.

d.. A flow conducting structure of the character described including, a female section having a rlow passage therethrough with a socket entering it from one end, a male section having a iiow passage therethrough of substantially the samediameter as the passage in the female section, the male section having an inner portion u received in the socket, means with-in the socket and surrounding the said inner portion of the malev section rotatably coupling the sections, and sealing means between the sections at a point axially removed from the means coupling the sections and including, a tubular flow conducting bellows of substantially the same internal diameter as said passages and located between the inner end of said portion of the male section andthe bottom of the socket in the female section, a mounting ring on one end of the bellows and held by one section and a sealing ring on the other end of the bellows having sealing engagement with the other section.

5. A flow conducting structure of the characterdescribed including, a female section having a iiow passage therethrough with a socket entering it from one end, a male section having a flow passage therethrough and having an inner portion-received in the socket, means in the socket and surrounding said portion of the male lsection rotatably coupling the sections, and sealing means including, a tubular flow conducting bellows located within the inner end of said portion of the male section and opposite the bottom offthe ysocket in the female section, a mounting ring on one end of the bellows and held by the male section and a sealing ring on the other end of thebellows having sealing engagement with the female section.

6. A flow conducting structure of the character described including, a female section having a now passage therethrough with a socket entering it from one end, a male section having a flow passage therethrough and having a counterbored inner portion received in the socket, means within the socket rotatably coupling the sections, and sealing means including, a tubular bellows located in the counterbore of the inner end portion of the male section and opposite the bottom oi the socket in the female section, a mounting ring on one end of the bellows and held by the male section and a sealing ring on the other end of the bellows having sealing engagement with the female section.

7. A iiow conducting structure of the character described including, a female section having a flow passage therethrough with a socket entering it from one end, a male section having 'a flow passage therethrough and having an inner portion received in the socket, means vrotatably coupling the sections, one of the sections having a counterbore therein, a now conducting bellows inthe counterbore having an inside diameter substantially the same as the passages, a mounting member on one end of the bellows and held by onesection, and a sealing member on the other end of the bellows having sealing engagement with the other section,

8. A iiow conducting structure of the character described including, a female section having a now passage therethrough with a socket entering it from one end, a male section having a iiow passage therethrough and having an inner portion received in the socket, means rotatably coupling the sections including an anti-friction bearing assembly retained on the inner portion of the male section and'supported in the socket and a retainer for said unit threaded into said socket, the said portion of the male section having a counterbore therein, a tubular flow conducting bellows in the counterbore having an inside diameter substantially the same as the passages, a mounting member on one end of the bellows and held by one section, and a sealing member on the other endof the bellows having' sealing engagement with the other section. f

9. A now conducting structure of the character described including, two tubular flow conducting sections with concentric iiow conducting passages of substantially the same diameter and having axially spaced walls extending radially outward from the passages defining an annular inwardly opening chamber, means rotatably coupling the sections, and packing means sealing between the sections including, a tubular now-conducting bellows extending between said walls and closing said chamber, the bellows having a mounting ring at one end secured to one section and having a sealing ring at the other end having sealing engagement ,with the other section, the inside diameter of the bellows being substantially the same as that of the said tubular sections.

10. A flow conducting structure of the character described including, two tubular sections with concentric ow conducting passages of substantially the same diameter and having axially spacedV walls extending radially outward from the passages defining an annular inwardly openingfchamber, anti-friction means rotatably coupling the sections,vand packing means sealing betweenthe sections including, a tubular flow conducting bellows having a mounting ring iixed on one end and rigidly secured to one section and having a sealing ring fixed on the other end having sealing engagement with theother section, the said other section having a central axial opening and a seat ymember tightly mounted in said opening and rotatably receiving the sealing ring.

11. A flow conducting structure of the character described including, two tubular sections with concentric flow conducting passages of substantially the same diameter and having axially spaced walls extending radially outward from the passages dening an annular inwardly opening chamber, means rotatably coupling the sections, and packing means sealing between the sections including, `a tubular flow conducting bellows of substantially the same internal diameter as the said passages and having a mounting ring fixed on one end and rigidly secured to one section and having a sealing ring iixed on the other end having sealing engagement with the other section, the said other section having a central axial opening and a seat ring tightly mounted in said opening with one end engaged by the sealing ring, the sealing ring having a tubuluar extension rotatably received in the seat ring.

12. A flow conducting structure of the character described including, two tubular sections with concentric now conducting passages of substantially the `same diameter and having axially spaced walls extending radially outward from the passages defining an annular inwardly opening chamber, means rotatably coupling the sectionsincluding, a tubular flow conducting bellows of substantially the same internal diameter as the passages and having a mounting ring fixed on one end and secured to one section and having a sealing ring fixed at the other end having sealing engagement with the other section, the first mentioned section having a bore extending into it from the shoulder thereof and the mounting `ring being tight in said bore in the first mentioned section, said other section having a central axial opening with a liner therein receiving thesealing ring.

13. A flow conducting structure of the character described including, two tubular sections with concentric flow conducting passages of substantially the same diameter and having axially spaced walls extending radially outward from the passages dening an annular inwardly opening chamber, means rotatably coupling the sections, and sealing means between the sections, including, a tubular flow conducting bellows having an inside diameter substantially the same as the passages, a mounting ring on one end of the bellows and held by one section, a seat ring on the other end of the bellows and slidably engaged with the other section, and a resilient member in the chamber surrounding the bellows and cooperating with the bellows in holding the sealing ring engaged with said other section.

DOYLE C. WARREN.

10 lmaFERENCEs CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,586,725 Westinghouse et al. June l, 1926 1,702,066 Valentine Feb. 12, 1929 1,759,029 Wishart May 20, 1930 1,883,278 Zerk Oct. 18, 1932 2,100,220 King Nov. 23, 1937 2,396,123 Phillips Mar. 5, 1946 2,444,868 Allen et al. July 6, 1948 

